Device for applying sterilizers to mouthpieces.



O. H. SAVAGE.

DEVICE FOR APPLYING STBRILIZERS TO MOUTHPIECES.

APPLICATION FILED DBO.5, 1906.

949, 1 59. Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

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ATTORNEY ORRIN H. SAVAGE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

ASSIGNOR TO OAKVILLE COMPANY, OF

WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

DEVICE FOR APPLYING STERILIZERS TO MOU'IHPIECES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

Application filed December 5, 1906. Serial No. 346,419.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORRIN H. SAVAGE, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Ap lying Sterilizers to Mouthpieces; and I (0 hereby declare the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same, to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The present invention relates to devices for applying sterilizers to mouthpicces, and has for its object to improve the construction of devices of this character.

To that end the invention consists in improved means for attaching the device to a mouthpiece, such for instance as the mouthpiece of a telephone and retaining the device in proper position thereon.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the mouthpiece of a telephone with the device applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the attachment with the parts in closed position; and Fig. 3 is a view showing the parts in open position.

The device comprises two members, 1, hinged together at 3.

The member 1 constitutes the body of the device to which the absorbent material 1 is applied, and the member 2 constitutes an attachmg ring adapted to encircle and engage the mouthpiece. The body 1 is of frusto-conical form corresponding substantially in shape with the inner wall of the mouthpiece, and so that the annulus of absorbent material applied to the inner wall of said body will, when the device is in position upon the mouthpiece, come in contact with a greater or less portion of the inner wall of said mouthpiece, as shown in Fig. 1. A. holding ring 5 is preferably employed to hold the absorbent material in place.

The member 2 or attaching ring, which is preferably made of comparatively thin sheet metal, and so as to have a certain amount of resiliency, is constructed of substantially the shape in cross section shown in Fig. 1, and

so that said ring will, when the device is in position upon the mouthpiece, come in contact with the outer wall of the mouthpiece only at or near the inner edge of said ring.

Said member 2 is provided with a suitable latch 6 adapted to en age the body 1, and hold the parts in closed position.

In order to give strength to the structure, and at the same time to give to the body 1 a finished and attractive appearance at its edge a ring 7 of wire is preferably employed, over which ring the outer edge of the body is turned as shown in Fig. 1. This ring 7, when employed, also furnishes a convenient means for attaching the member or ring 2 to the body 1 and for forming the hinge connection between the two members. By providing the member 2 with a tongue or projection 8, and by cutting away a portion of the turned over edge of the body member so as to leave a portion of the wire ring 7 uncovered, the tongue or projection 8 may be bent around the wire 7, thereby forming the hinge connection, as shown in Fig. 1. By also cutting away a portion of the turned over edge of the body-member at a point diametrically opposite the hinge, so as to leave uncovered a portion of the wire ring 7 at that point also, said wire serves as a convenient and at the same time a rigid means for the engagement of the latch 6. It is preferred to make the latch 6 in the form of a spring-latch, and to provide said latch with two bonds or indentations 6 and (3 for the purpose hereinafter described.

\Vith the construction above described the device may be readily attached to the mouthpiece by simply passing the smaller end of the mouthpiece through the member or attaching ring and then latching the two parts together, which when a spring latch is employed will be effected by simply closing the body-member. By simply unlatching the body-member and turning it upon its hinge, the antiseptic or sterilizing material will be applied to the absorbent material without removing the device from the mouthpiece.

\Vhen applied to the mouthpiece and the parts latched together, the device will be snugly and securely clamped upon the mouthpiece. By reason of the fact that the outer end of the mouthpiece or the inner wall thereof abuts against the absorbent material which is necessarily of a yielding character, instead of against solid metal, said absorbent material constitutes a yielding cushion or abutment for the mouthpiece and thereby enables the device to be applied to mouthpieces the walls ofwhich vary more or less in thickness. At the same time the device will, by reason of such yielding cushion or abutment be snugly held in position upon these different mouthpieces, not-withstanding the variance in the thickness of their walls. Furthermore the absorbent material will serve as a. cushion for the bodymember in closing and latching it in closed position.

By constructing the attaching ring of resilient material and of substantially the form shown, still further means are provided for enabling the device to be applied to mouthpieces having walls of varying thickness, a certain amount of yield or give being thus provided in the attaching ring itself. This construction of the clamping ring also contributes to a firm but yielding clamping of the device upon the mouthpiece.

By providing the latch with two indentations or engaging portions provision is made for a still greater variation in the thickness of the walls of different mouthpieces. Thus if the wall of the mouthpiece is comparatively thick, the indentation 6 will engage the wire ring 7, while if the Wall be sufliciently thinner, then the indentation 6 will engage the said ring.

It will be understood that so far as certain features of the invention are concerned, the body member and attaching ring instead of being hinged together may be connected in any other suitable way, as by means of spring-clips, for instance. It is preferred, however, to hinge these two parts together, as thereby they will not only be permanently connected, but in addition a certain leverage is obtained in clamping the device in position upon the mouthpiece.

It will be further understood that in place of the wire ring 7 extending entirely around the body-member, two separate pieces of wire forming two sections of a ring, so to speak, may, if desired, be employed, one piece of wire being located in proper position to be engaged by the tongue or projection 8, and the other piece of wire being located in proper position to be engaged by the latch 6, and where the term ring, as applied to said part 7, is employed in said claims, it is intended to include and cover a section or sections of a ring as well as a complete annulus.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a body member and an attaching member movable toward and from each other, said attaching member being adapted to engage the outer end of the mouth-piece,

and said body member being of a frustoconical form adapted to extend within the mouth-piece and being provided with absorbent material arranged to contact with the inner wall of said mouth-piece.

2. A device of the class described comprising a body member and an attaching member movable toward and from each other, said attaching member being of resilient material and constructed to engage the outer wall of the mouth-piece only at or near the inner edge of said attaching member.

3. A device of the class described comprising a body-member and an attaching member, said body-member being provided with absorbent material arranged to contact with the outer end of the mouthpiece, and said attaching-member being of resilient material and constructed to engage the outer wall of the mouthpiece only at or near the inner edge of said attaching member.

i. A device of the class described comprising a body-member and an attaching- .member, said body-member being of a frusto-conical form adapted to extend within the mouthpiece and being provided with absorbent material arranged to contact with the inner wall of said mouthpiece, and said attaching-member being of resilient material and constructed to engage the outer wall of the mouthpiece only at or near the inner edge of said attaching member.

5. A device of the class described comprising a body member and an attaching member movable toward and from each other, said attaching member being adapted to engage the outer end. of the mouth-piece, and said body member being provided with absorbent material arranged to contact with the inner wall of the mouth-piece near the outer end thereof, and a latch for latching said two members together.

6. A device of the class described'comprising a body-member and an attachingmember hinged together, said body-member being provided with a ring over which the edge of said body-member is turned, a portion of said ring being left uncovered, and said attaching-member being provided with a projection adapted to engage the exposed portion of said ring to form the hinge.

7. A device of the class described comprising a body-member and an attachingmember hinged together, said body-member being provided with a ring over which the edge of said body-member is turned,two portions of said ring being left uncovered, and said attaching-member being provided with two projections, one projection being adapted to engage one exposed portion of said ring to form a hinge, and the other projection being adapted to engage the other exposed portion of said ring to form a latch.

8. A device of the class described com- I gaging portions, whereby said members may prising a body-member and an attachingbe latched together in two relatively differ- 10 1ne1ner hinged together, said ztttaehilnlg ent positions. mem er bein constructed to form a yie c- T 1 ing engagemznt with the mouth-piece, one bAVAbh of said members being provided with a WVitnesses: hitch adapted to engage the other member, S. L. BUGKING'IIAM, and said latch being provided with two en- JOHN (T. 'Jmnmnm. 

